hot water

New training supplement gives plumbing and heating contractors of all experience and skill levels an easier way to gain product knowledge.

Noritz America today announced the release of its Online Residential Level 1 (R1) tankless water heater training for plumbing and heating contractors. The Noritz University course will supplement personal training by Noritz sales personnel, allowing those tradespeople who are unable to attend in-person sessions the ability to gain and deepen their tankless knowledge quickly and effectively.

“The training is useful for contractors of all levels of experience, because we continue to develop and improve our technology,” says Jason Fleming, Marketing Manager for Noritz America. “Now there’s a new way to get the right information quickly and efficiently without always having to travel to a Noritz facility or a distributor location.”

The Noritz website will host the training slides, which also furnish information on a shortcut to Training signup, available courses, as well as the benefits of participating in the company’sPROCard rebate program. A checkpoint quiz at the end of the module allows contractors to complete their education courses in order to be listed in the “Find an Installer” section of the website, while also elevating their status as PROCard members.

The 45 training slides in the new R1 program take approximately an hour to complete, according to Fleming. Topics include:

PRODUCT LINE

• What is a Tankless Water Heater?
• Residential Condensing and Non-Condensing Product Lines
• Large Residential/Commercial Product Line

INSTALLATION

• Sizing
• Gas
• Combustion Air
• PVC Considerations
• Direct and Standard Venting, Vent Termination Clearances
• Circuit Board Dipswitches
• Special Applications

MAINTENANCE

• Water Treatment
• Descale Procedure

Noritz intends to expand its instruction on these key tankless topics in future courses. “It’s always beneficial to get the latest on our products,” says Fleming. “The more a contractor knows, the easier it is for him to sell his knowledge, skills and services.”

For more information on the full line of Noritz tankless water heating products, visit www.noritz.com. You can also telephone us at 866.766.7489 or e-mail us at support@noritz.com.

by plumbing expert Rich Grimes

What is the best domestic water piping system? Great question with no easy answer! It is truly a matter of preference and each system has its own inherent benefits. Let’s look at some of the more common materials that are used. Most products up to 2″ size are Copper Tube Size (CTS) but alternative methods can be Iron Pipe Size (IPS). The key is that products must be NSF-61 listed for potable water.

COPPER is one of the oldest and most reliable methods for domestic water supplies. It has become an expensive metal over time so that opens the door for alternative piping systems. It has various benefits such as strength, corrosion and temperature resistance, longevity and its natural ability to inhibit bacterial growth. It uses full-flow fittings (tube fits inside of fitting) that are typically soldered connections.

CPVC is another CTS piping material that is often used for domestic water. It is a harder version of PVC that can withstand temperatures up to 180F. It employs a full-flow fitting that is usually socket-welded with solvent-cement. It is non-metallic so it can answer some issues that may arise with copper (dielectric corrosion, etc.) but it is a polymer that can degrade when exposed to petroleum and other chemical products. While it is mostly sold up to 2″ size in CTS, it also is sold as a Schedule 40 or 80 IPS potable water distribution system.

PEX is another polymer that is rated for domestic potable water. It is also CTS size tubing with an internal fitting. It uses a crimp-ring or clamp around the tubing and fitting to create a joint. Crimp and clamp tools are an integral part of the system for making a watertight connection. PEX is a flexible, labor-saving product that is produced in long coils. Long runs can be accomplished with fewer fittings or no fittings under slab.

There are several other polymers that have a NSF-61 rating, typically in IPS and used on domestic water lines over 2″ size. These are competing with large diameter metal piping systems for CW and HW mains of copper or SS.

One variable that must considered is the fittings to be used and the joining method. Today there are a variety of specialty fittings that can greatly reduce installation time and labor. While these fittings and joining methods may have a higher fitting cost, they can ultimately save money when considering the total installed cost. Press fittings have become popular because they greatly reduce labor and allow for a viable copper joint. Solvent welded CPVC can save labor over a soldered copper connection but there are solvent cement costs and joint curing times that must be considered. PEX fittings cost more that CPVC fittings but their clamping methods reduce labor and there is no waiting for curing. A mechanically-extracted tee on copper can eliminate most fitting costs and greatly reduce labor, but they require brazed joints and the cost of the tool system comes into play. Push-joint fittings eliminate tool costs, soldering or solvent-welding, down time, and labor but the fitting cost is higher…

It is probably best to look at items like project location, type of service, local environment, operating temperatures, ambient temperatures, tubing heat transfer, etc. to select the right piping or tubing for a project. Most contractors will utilize several if not all of these methods in their business, but typically standardize on a preferred pipe and fitting method. There is no single piping system that can meet every need and each system has its own benefits and best application. As well, each system is not bulletproof and can be susceptible to the surrounding environment, chemicals or various stresses that can cause a failure. Most products today have very high pressure ratings and it is proven that most piping failures are due to improper preparation and installation. If the manufacturer’s instructions are followed, any of these piping methods can provide a good domestic water distribution system that will last for years and years.

Choosing between High Mass or Low Mass boilers

By Jack Daniels

There has been much discussion on low and high mass boilers as of late. With high mass boilers now being available in highly efficient modulating and condensing configurations only adds more wrenches to that discussion.  The decision of what boiler to use is often made in the boiler room. Today, let’s discuss the real basis on how to choose what boiler is right for you. Wise contractors know the system will tell you what boiler is best.

Taking a look at how the ideal hydronic system should operate is as simple as considering the idea that what is produced is used.  In other words, if we can achieve equilibrium and have the boiler start up in the fall and not shut down until the spring then we will be as efficient as the boiler’s ratings. As we all know, this is not always possible, heck, it is almost never achieved, thus the need for options in the configuration or mass of the boiler.

Suppose we have all of the proper elements of a hydronic system in their proper locales. The heat source (boiler), circulator, expansion tank, make up water, and heat emitters all have their own temperature and flow requirements. The objective is to achieve a reliable, inexpensive, comfortable, and over all efficient system. Failure to look at all aspects of the system will ultimately add to costs (initial and ongoing), as well as under heating, overheating, wasted energy, and most importantly, a disappointed customer.

First, let’s look at the low mass boilers. A few of the obvious benefits include low cost, high efficiency, and space saving. Another benefit to the low mass boiler is recovery time. A low mass boiler will come up to temperature very quickly as it does not have a lot of water to heat. This is ideal in applications that handle heating and domestic hot water needs. So, if I have a 2,500 square foot house that has one zone of in-floor heat the boiler can go from 120 degrees for the heating of the floor to 180 degrees for heating an indirect water tank very quickly.  Sweet! End of discussion. No need for high mass boilers.

What?! Your customer wants the bedrooms a tad cooler than the living spaces and wants to have the master bath warmer than the rest of the house? This creates the need for micro zones.  Now we have created a zone that can only “use” 6,000 BTU’s. Our low mass boiler can only modulate down to 19,000 BTU’s. We are producing more than we can use. Houston we have a problem. The boiler is going to take the water for the small zone to temperature very quickly (which is one of the advantages of a low mass boiler) and be forced to shut down.  The small zone, however, is still calling for heat so the boiler has to fire again and again as it takes the water for that small zone up to temperature very quickly and shuts down.  Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Considering that each time a boiler fires it takes a short amount of time for the flame to stabilize and be most efficient in addition to stressing the components of the boiler, short-cycling will lead to a very unhappy customer.

So the answer here is to use a high mass boiler.  Awesome! Always use a high mass boiler when micro-zoning. End of discussion.  But now we have to keep all of that mass up to 180 degrees even in the summertime to produce the domestic hot water in addition to needing a mixing valve for the central heating. Though standby losses have been greatly reduced, they still exist. This is a system that should have mass added to the central heating side but not to the domestic water side.  See our last article in Wisconsin perspectives titled, “Ailing hydronic systems: Is there a doctor in the house?”  As you’ll recall, in that article we discussed buffer tanks in detail.

So if we do not have a domestic load in the aforementioned scenario should we use a high mass boiler? This author says yes. It is the best of all worlds. It can take advantage of outdoor reset and handle the micro zones with the energy stored in the higher mass.

Now, let’s take a look at high mass modulating and condensing boilers. We are no longer restricted to using cast iron behemoths that are not very efficient.  Manufacturers have recently introduced very efficient boilers that have the mass or storage needed for the micro zoned applications.  Other advantages of high mass boilers include lower pressure drop, less maintenance, and ease of installation as there is no need for primary secondary piping.

I would also use high mass boilers in any system that you would suspect debris. Retrofit applications replacing cast iron boilers are an ideal place for a high mass boiler. Gone are the worries about plugged exchangers, water treatments, and endless flushing. Let’s not forget high mass boilers were first then the low mass boilers came on the market as higher efficiency options.  Now, with high mass boilers being as efficient as their low mass counterparts, I view them as another option in the arsenal of comfortable, money saving options heating professionals can offer their customer

So the answer about whether to use high mass or low mass boilers stays the same; it depends.

For information from the author, contact Gregory “Jack” Daniels, Hot Water Products, Inc, (877) 377-0011, HotWaterProducts.com

Uponor North America (Uponor) recently launched two new, engineered polymer (EP) multiport tees to meet the increasing demand in commercial plumbing systems using crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) pipe.

The new, high-flow branch and flow-through EP multiport tees are targeted for commercial installations where supply lines are required to be upsized due to pressure or code requirements. One multiport does the same job as three separate tees, reducing the amount of connections by 45%. Both the branch and flow-through multiports feature 1¼” inlets with three ¾” outlets.

“We are continuing to see exponential growth in our commercial plumbing business and are responding to market needs with products that make it viable to install Uponor PEX in any application,” says Jayson Drake, director, Plumbing and Fire Safety, at Uponor.

Both products feature Uponor’s unique ProPEX® connection that capitalizes on the shape memory of Uponor PEX pipe to create strong, durable connections that hold tight with 1,000 pounds of radial force.

Uponor, Inc. is an award-winning provider of plumbing, fire safety, radiant heating/cooling and hydronic distribution piping systems for residential and commercial applications. In 2014, the company received the Community Impact Award for Sustainability and the Progress Minnesota award for driving business growth and economic development. In 2013, the company was named Manufacturer of the Year by the Manufacturers Alliance and a Top 100 Workplace by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Uponor, Inc. employs nearly 500 people at its North American headquarters in Apple Valley, Minn. For more information, visit our websites atwww.uponorpro.com or www.uponor-usa.com or call (800) 321-4739.